What Are the Balls on a Rose Bush Called After the Flower Falls Off?

The small, round fruits that appear on the rose bush at the end of the growing season are called rose hips. The hips, which are the ovary of the rose plant, are densely packed with rose seeds. Rich in vitamin C, A and B, rose hips have been valued for their nutritional and medicinal benefits for hundreds of years. Today, the hips are primarily appreciated for their ornamental value, as well as their sweet-tart flavor.

Ornamental Value

Rose hips mature after the first frost in late summer or early autumn. Depending on the type of rose plant, the hips may be as small as a pea or as large as a crabapple. Although they are often harvested and used in a variety of ways, leaving the hips on the plant provides color and texture for a winter landscape. The plumpest, most attractive rose hips are usually found on old garden roses or shrub roses such as Rosa rugosa. Newer roses such as hybrid tea or floribunda roses, with blooms that are removed regularly throughout the season, produce hips that are smaller and not as colorful. In addition to their ornamental effect, the hips are often enjoyed by birds and small mammals.

Harvesting

Rose hips ripen about four months after they appear. Ripe rose hips are firm and plump but not shriveled or soft. Some hips turn bright red when they ripen, while others may turn shades of golden yellow, burgundy or orange, and others may remain green, not changing color at all. To harvest rose hips, pick or cut them from the bush. If you plan to use the hips for food, be sure the bushes haven't been treated with chemical pesticides.

Extracting Seeds From Hips

To extract seeds from the center of rose hips, cut the hips in half with clean scissors or a sharp craft knife, and then scrape out the seeds. Discard the seeds if you intend to use the hips in the kitchen, or save them if you want to try your hand at growing new rose bushes. If you need to save a large number of seeds, put a handful of hips in blender container with about a cup of water, and then blend the mixture. Don't worry about damaging the seeds, as minor nicks and scrapes help the seeds germinate. Pour the seeds through a strainer, and then spread the wet seeds on a newspaper to dry. Use your fingers or tweezers to pick the dry rose seeds out of the plant matter. The hips contain little hairs that can irritate skin, so you might want to wear gloves when you do this.

Planting Rose Seeds

To germinate, rose seeds require a period of chilling known as stratification. Bury the seeds in a plastic bag filled with moist peat moss and store the seeds in your refrigerator's vegetable drawer for about 60 days. When the chilling period is over, fill a shallow container with about 2 inches of commercial potting mixture and plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep. Put the container in a room where the seeds are exposed to bright light, and temperatures are maintained at a minimum of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant each seedling into an individual pot after five or six weeks. Rose bushes planted by seed reach full maturity in about three years.

Other Uses

Some types of rose hips are very tart, but most have a sweet, tangy flavor. A simple way to use fresh rose hips is to make tea by steeping the hips in hot water and straining out the hairy seeds. The hips are also easy to dry in a food dehydrator for use in tea throughout the winter. Alternatively, Michigan State University suggests spreading the hips on a tray and dry them in a dry, dark, well-ventilated location. Store the dried hips in an airtight container. Rose hips are also used to make syrups, purees, sauces, jam and jellies. To use rose hips this way, make juice by boiling the hips in a small amount of water, and then pour the juice through a strainer to remove the pulp. Sweeten the juice with sugar or honey, or add pectin to make jam or jelly.

About the Author

M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.